Nielsen Brings Marketing Education and Mentorship to LGBTQ Students

Nielsen recently participated as a Platinum Sponsor of the Out for Undergrad (O4U) marketing conference hosted in Chicago. O4U is a national nonprofit whose mission is to help high-achieving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) undergraduate students reach their full potential. The marketing conference convened over 110 LGBTQ undergraduate students representing 40 universities for professional development, mentorship, networking and a career fair.

As part of our participation, PRIDE—Nielsen’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allies employee resource group (ERG)—partnered with our human resources (HR) and university recruiting teams to host on-site interviews for students interested in careers with Nielsen. Select attendees at this year’s conference also participated in a case study exercise where they developed marketing strategies specifically tailored to LGBT consumers and used Nielsen’s2015 LGBT Consumer Report and data to inform their analysis. Students were able to engage with our data in a meaningful way, get a sampling of Nielsen’s business capabilities and see firsthand how important LGBT consumers and associates are to our business and the U.S. economy. Finalists shared their case competitive pitches with a panel of judges that included representatives from Nielsen and our clients.

“We matter as students, future employees and as loyal consumers for brands,” concluded one of the case competition finalists in their pitch.

Leaders from across Nielsen also participated in the conference to share information about measurement and performance management with the attendees. Sean Ogar, senior vice president, Client Service, Nielsen, shared insights on marketplace measurement and marketing analytics. “Several of the attendees originally did not know exactly where it was in the business world their degrees would fit in. After learning more about what we are capable of doing at Nielsen, they saw a career path to use their analytic skills and curiosity to work with data,” said Ogar.

Other leaders and members from PRIDE served as mentors and career coaches during the conference. In mentorship groups, Nielsen leaders helped students explore concepts surrounding authentic leadership, LGBTQ identity in the workplace and entering the marketing industry. “I’m proud to share what I’ve learned as a part of my own professional development from our PRIDE employee resource group at Nielsen with the next generation of LGBTQ leaders,” said Matthew Hanzlik, Diversity & Inclusion Program Manager at Nielsen.

PRIDE executive sponsor Andrew McCaskill gave the final keynote address for the Out4Undergrad conference and closed by sharing the Nielsen value of “Open” with attendees. “Over the past few years, the LGBT community has found incredibly powerful and influential allies in corporate America,” he noted. “Our work worlds and personal worlds are opening up to possibilities that weren’t imaginable to me in college. Seek environments that are open and safe spaces for you to be authentic and still thrive. I am honored to have the opportunity to foster a sense of equality and inclusion for the LGBT community and proud to work with a company that shares and prioritizes those values.”